Activate TU won the executive ticket for Temple Student Government on Friday after a close competition that included a temporary suspension and delay of the election result announcement from the Elections Committee.
“I’m speechless,” Student Body President-elect Tyrell Mann-Barnes said after the announcement on Friday. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m so happy I could cry.”
Mann-Barnes said one of the first actions of his team will be to open an application for the Ethics Board that was discussed in Activate TU’s campaign. The team opened applications for executive branch positions on Monday night.
TSG announced Parliament winners a little less than an hour after the new executive ticket.
“It wasn’t just about getting enough votes to win,” said Paige Hill, vice president-elect of external affairs. “We wanted to make sure that people really knew they could vote, really came out to vote and let their voices be heard.”
Ari Abramson, the presidential candidate on the Connecting TU ticket, said he isn’t sure if his campaign will continue to be involved with TSG.
“We’ll just have to see how things play out,” Abramson said.
Abby Moore, a junior media studies and production major, thought the campaigns were “weirdly messy.”
“I’ve never seen so many ‘scandals,’” she said. “I think [Activate TU] got dragged through a bunch of drama they didn’t ask for. I’m glad they won.”
Activate TU was suspended for about an hour before voting closed last Wednesday night. The Elections Committee delayed announcing the results of the election while it investigated Activate TU’s finances — which were found to be within the spending limit.
Activate TU’s platform was founded on increased transparency within TSG and increased collaboration with Women Organized Against Rape and Student Health Services. The team also openly opposed the construction of an on-campus football stadium.
Jason Croft, a senior journalism major, voted for Connecting TU because they “seemed to be more neutral.”
“As a true fan of Temple athletics, I couldn’t vote for a group that came out as anti-stadium,” he said.
Five members of the Activate TU campaign team have had experience on TSG’s current executive team. Current Student Body President Aron Cowen said his team would explore the best options of transition with Activate TU.
“I think that we’re all here for the same reason, so I think we’ll make it work,” Cowen said.
Adam Bershad, a junior sport and recreation management major, thought that the campaigns had “too much bashing of the opposing platform.”
“I hope that Activate TU stays true to their word and is inclusive to everyone,” Bershad said.
Leo Greene, a senior economics and political science major, said he voted for Activate TU because he believed they recognize their “duty and obligation to the community where Temple exists.”
“The stadium will happen regardless of how badly the incoming [TSG] administration will oppose it,” he said. “The real question is, can the administration pivot fast enough from ‘we flat out don’t want the stadium’ to ‘we must negotiate with the school to make sure the individuals being misplaced get some kind of good deal’.”
Greene also hoped that there will be better communication between Parliament and the Executive Branch.
“I think this would be something the incoming folks would want to nip in the bud,” he added.
The new executive team will be sworn into office on May 1.
Amanda Lien can be reached at amanda.lien@temple.edu or on Twitter @amandajlien.
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